Challenges Faced By New Immigrants

Communication Problems

Upon their arrival in Canada, immigrants faced many challenges as they attempted to fit in with their fellow native-born Canadians. One such challenge was that of communication. Many immigrants who came to Canada spoke the language of their native land. Canadians outside of these ethnic groups did not understand anything these immigrants said or wrote. On the other hand, immigrants who spoke foreign languages could not understand anything said or written by native-born Canadians, as English and French were the predominant languages in Canada. One can imagine how afraid and confused an immigrant who did not speak English or French must have felt when they arrived at Canadian immigration centres where officials spoke only these two languages.

Some nationalities, such as the Icelanders, attempted to live amongst one another where they could communicate with each other in their native tongue and did not have to interact with others who did not. They implemented their own educational system and taught their children in the Icelandic language. This tactic only worked for a short time though as Canada continued to grow and these isolated communities could no longer ignore their neighbours who were settling closer and closer to these communities. Most nationalities learned the predominant language of their area, usually French or English, so that they could communicate with other Canadians. Many continued to speak and write in their native tongues at home and amongst those who could understand them.